What I Wouldn't Give
by ThatWeirdOtaku21
Summary: It's Christmas time in Domino City, and Malik isn't exactly having a happy holiday. And to make things worse, his motorcycle gets stolen! But after running into Anzu and receiving a gift from her that must've cost a fortune, his holiday might just be a good one after all. Manipulashipping MalikXAnzu. Merry Christmas!


**A/N: I'm back again! Here I am with the Christmas one shot I promised you guys! Consider it my Christmas gift to you!**

**This is my very first attempt at Manipulashipping… wish me luck!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

**X**

It was easy to tell that it was Christmas in the streets of Domino City. Bright, colorful lights adorned the businesses and houses. Decorations of Santa Claus, snowmen, and other Christmas icons also gave the city of Domino a Christmas-like look and feel.

However, the one who wasn't exactly feeling the Christmas spirit at the moment was Malik Ishtar.

This holiday and the whole Christian religion confused him to no end. He knew that it was only because he was Egyptian and he was raised to believe differently than Christians, but it still confused him greatly.

Like, for instance, why would you put a tree in the middle of your living room? And, what's so great about a guy in a red suit sneaking into your house in the middle of the night to give small children gifts? It sounded kind of creepy to Malik. And why did this Jesus feel like he needed to die for everyone else's sins? He'd never paid much mind to it before since he never celebrated Christmas.

But now that he and his brother and sister lived in Domino City, Ishizu suggested that they try to "fit in" more. So this would be his first time celebrating Christmas.

Malik had been assigned to go out and buy a Christmas tree. But no, not just any tree. It had to be a tree that matched Ishizu's description _exactly_. No other!

Well, Malik was having a hard time getting to where he could buy this stupid tree. Ishizu didn't say he'd have to wait in this insane traffic! They just had to wait till the day before Christmas Eve to go out and buy the tree. Not to mention that it was freezing cold outside and Malik was _not_ accustomed to cold temperatures. And on top of that, he was riding a _motorcycle!_

And there was another problem. He couldn't take a tree home on a motorcycle!

Growling in irritation, Malik realized that he'd have to go all the way back home, grab Rishid's truck, and drive all the way back up here through this insane traffic. How could he have been so stupid?!

Today just wasn't his day.

As Malik turned his motorcycle around, he also noted that he was going to need gas if he planned on making it home. Heaving a sigh, he pulled into the gas station.

He'd never get home at this rate.

X

Malik walked out of the small convenient store after having to wait in line for ten minutes. Jeez, were these the slowest people on the face of the Earth?!

As Malik exhaled another sigh of exasperation, he walked back to where he had parked his motorcycle.

Only to find that it wasn't there.

His lavender eyes went wide with worry. _"No! No!"_ he thought as he frantically searched the parking lot for a trace of his motorcycle. He found none.

"Just _great!_" he yelled angrily, causing many people to turn around and stare at him like something was wrong with him. Could this day get _any _worse?!

While grumbling something about "what's going to happen next", Malik pulled out his cell phone and called a cab.

X

Malik knew it was going to be a long ride. Cab drivers in Domino City were exceedingly slow. It didn't help that the traffic was this bad and it was now snowing terribly.

He looked up when he heard the door to his left open. He saw a young woman enter the car. Though he only caught a glimpse of her face before he looked down again, she seemed familiar.

The cab driver turned around. "Where to?"

"Sunrise Apartments."

Malik looked up once more. That voice… it was…

"Anzu?"

The young woman looked up at hearing her name. She turned to face him, and she beamed in happiness.

"Malik! It's good to see you again!" she chirped happily.

He and Anzu had become good friends after he had moved to Domino City. He had been assigned to most of her classes, so they had a lot of time to talk. He had been rather confused when he came to Domino High, and Anzu had been the only one willing to show him around. Her friends still did not trust him like he thought they did. Anzu and Ryou were the only ones.

"I'm glad to see you, Anzu. I really hate complaining, but this day's been awful." He said with a groan. Her brows furrowed in sympathy.

"Really? It can't be that bad. Come on, tell me what happened."

He took a deep breath and explained everything that happened to him. He felt like a whiny teenager as he spoke to her, but he was glad to get his emotions off of his chest.

"Honestly, could the Gods really hate me this much?" Malik nearly whined as he sighed and leaned back against the seat.

Anzu couldn't suppress the giggle that escaped her. She had to admit, he looked rather cute looking all upset. But she knew she shouldn't be teasing him. If she were in his boat, she wouldn't be very happy either.

Her tone turned serious. "You did call the police, right?"

"No, but I will. They probably won't be able to do anything about it until after Christmas anyway." He replied with slight agitation.

"We're here." The cab driver interrupted. Anzu looked up and saw that they had arrived at her apartment complex.

"I have to go, okay? See you later." She was about to get out, but she then stopped herself.

"Oh! I almost forgot," she quickly scribbled something down on a small piece of paper, "here."

Malik quickly scanned it over. It was the address to Yuugi's house and her phone number.

"Yuugi's having a Christmas party on Christmas Day. How about you, Ishizu, and Rishid come?"

"Sure, I guess we can come over." Malik replied, though he was slightly wary of what Yuugi and his friends would think.

"Great! Be there at five! See ya!"

Malik waved goodbye to her. He felt a cold gust of wind as the door beside him opened and shut. Anzu paid the taxi driver before heading off to her apartment.

Malik looked down at the piece of paper Anzu had given him once more. She gave him her phone number? Why? It's not like he needed it to get to Yuugi's house. Not that he _minded,_ but still, it baffled him.

A party at Yuugi's house? What would Anzu's friends say about him being there? Would Anzu defend him if they said anything? Well, Malik was perfectly capable of defending himself. He just didn't want to say anything rude to her friends out of the fear of upsetting Anzu. But what if things became awkward when he showed up? Of course, he'd probably end up being the outcast…

But he didn't mind it that much. As long as Anzu offered her company and was there, he could handle that situation. Besides, he was used to being the outcast.

Soon enough the taxi driver reached Malik's house. He got out and paid him before heading into his house to warm up.

After the day he'd just had, he could get the tree later.

X

_Christmas Eve_

It had occurred to Malik that morning that he could not go into a Christmas party and not have a gift for at least Anzu. He was sure that her friends probably didn't know he was coming, so they most likely did not get him anything. He didn't mind.

Though Anzu was like a best friend to him, he still could not figure out what she'd like for Christmas. He knew from snooping around in her mind that she loved dancing. But what did that tell him? What dance-related gifts could you give to a person?

And that was when it hit him.

"Sister, I'm going out. I'll be back in about an hour!"

Malik took Ishizu's car this time and headed out.

X

Anzu took a careful sip of her freshly made hot chocolate. Ever since she invited Malik to Yuugi's Christmas party yesterday, she'd been having trouble figuring out what to get him.

Malik didn't show his interests much, not even to the people he cared about most. She wasn't sure if it was just his personality or something else, but he sure wasn't making things easier for her; especially since it was Christmas Eve. She had to get his gift _today._

That was when it hit her. Of course!

Anzu then grabbed her cell phone to call a cab. He was going to love this!

X

_Christmas Day_

Ishizu and Rishid had chosen not to go to Yuugi's Christmas party. Ishizu said that she had to stay home and make Christmas dinner, and Rishid had a few more chores around the house to do. So Malik was going alone.

He looked over at the present he'd gotten for Anzu lying in the passenger seat. He really hoped that she'd like it. He was nervous to give it to her, as he was worried about what she would say. Would she love it? Would she hate it and give it back to him?

No, that wasn't like Anzu. Even if she didn't like it, she would accept the gift with a thank you. He'd come to learn that for the sake of other people, Anzu tended to push her feelings aside. He admired that about her.

He looked up and saw that he had arrived at Yuugi's house in no time at all. It was already packed full of cars. Was he late? He hoped not. Though being fashionably late was normal among people, he had been taught to always be punctual.

He grabbed the present he had for Anzu, stuck it in his pockets, and knocked on Yuugi's door.

There was shuffling inside, and after a few more seconds he saw the door open. Uh oh. It was Jounouchi, the one who didn't trust him the most out of all of Anzu's friends.

"What're you doin' here, Malik?" he asked.

"I'm here for the Christmas party. Anzu-chan invited me." Malik replied with a small smile.

"Anzu? _She _invited you?" Jounouchi asked in disbelief.

"I did," Anzu interrupted from behind Jounouchi, "so let him in."

Jounouchi didn't say anything more and moved away from the door way to let him in. Malik stepped inside, and was surprised to find that the house was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside.

"Sorry about him, he was just being a jerk." Anzu said to Malik as she shut the door.

"It's fine, it didn't bother me." Malik replied nonchalantly.

She smiled. "Good. The party's upstairs, c'mon!" She grabbed his wrist, which took him by surprise, and led him upstairs.

X

The party had gone exceptionally well, much to Malik's liking. Anzu had stayed with him nearly the whole time, which was good. Her friends opened up to him a little bit more, and he actually felt like he was a part of their group. He liked that feeling.

Jounouchi and Honda had gotten drunk. It was funny to see them stumbling around and slurring their speech that barely made any sense as it was. Malik had stayed sober though. It was against his religion, and he'd never really liked alcohol or had any interest in it anyway. Anzu and Yuugi had as well. Everyone else was either very drunk or well on their way.

"Alright guys," Yuugi said to get everyone's attention, "it's time for the gift exchange."

Malik stiffened a bit. He would look awkward having only one gift, so he decided he'd step out while they were doing that. He'd give his gift to Anzu after the party.

Malik got up when no one was looking and snuck out the door. He would wait outside for about five to ten minutes before coming back in.

X

Just before Malik was about to go inside, Anzu came outside and walked up to him.

"Why are you out here?" she asked. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Malik replied, "I just decided to come out here for a bit."

Anzu seemed even more concerned for him now. "Why?"

"Well, you guys had a gift exchange, and I only brought one gift. I felt that it would be unfair to have one gift for someone and not have one for anyone else, so I came out here to wait until you guys were done."

Anzu nodded in understanding. Though she wouldn't say anything, her friends would probably question it and get angry.

He suddenly came out of his relaxed position against the wall. "Now that you're out here, Anzu, I can give you this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

Anzu's eyes went wide before she smiled. "Malik, thanks but I can't accept this."

Malik's eyes were unmoving. "Take it, Anzu. I'll be upset if you don't."

With a light giggle, Anzu nodded and removed the top off of the box. She gasped when she saw what was inside.

It was a beautiful necklace. A small diamond was on the dancer's chest. It was silver, and the dancer on the end had one word engraved in cursive on it: _Anzu. _

"Open it." Malik told her. Anzu ran her fingernail in between the seam and the locket popped open. On the left side it was a picture of New York, and on the right was a picture of her.

Tears threatened to form on the rims of her eyes. "Malik!" She then caught him off guard in a sudden embrace.

Malik could feel heat rush to his cheeks. "I love it Malik, it's beautiful! Thank you!" He felt himself go five shades darker red before returning her embrace. "You're welcome."

They remained like that a moment longer before she wiped away her tears and smiled up at him.

"Come on! I have something I want to give to you, too." With slight confusion, Malik followed her.

Before they reached the back yard, Anzu stood on her tip-toes, reached up from behind him, and covered his eyes with her hands. "No peeking. I'll take away my hands when you can look."

Anzu steadily guided him into the back yard before she removed her hands. "Open your eyes!"

Malik opened his lavender eyes, and he couldn't believe what he saw sitting in front of him.

It was a brand new motorcycle! Brand new!

Malik's eyes went wide with surprise as he examined the motorcycle. "You bought _this_ for me?"

"Mmhm. And, unlike your old one, you won't have to make payments on this." She replied with a smile of pride.

"Wait a minute… you paid for this with your own money? You didn't get a loan or anything like that?" Malik asked her suddenly.

"No…" Anzu replied, wondering where he was going with this.

No! She paid for something that costed 10,000 or possibly more with her own money?

Money that she was probably going to use to get to New York…

How could he have let this happen?! He let her go out and blow all this money on him, someone who didn't deserve it! It wasn't like he knew, but still, it killed him to know that she gave up her dream for him.

"Anzu… how much did this cost?"

"Oh, it's not important-"She was cut off when he enveloped her hands within his own.

"Anzu, _how much did this cost?"_ he asked again. She swallowed thickly.

"U-Um… 12,000…" she answered. His eyes went wide again before he released her hands.

"Anzu, why did you have to go out and blow all this money on someone like me?!" he asked suddenly. He hadn't meant to snap at her but he couldn't contain his emotions.

Anger rose inside of her. "What do you mean someone like you?! You were worth every penny!"

"Anzu, I nearly _killed_ you! I shouldn't even be alive right now! I should have been casted into the darkness just like my alter ego was. Anzu, you gave up your dream for someone who nearly killed you and your friends. Why would you do that?!" Malik was panting by the time he finished. Anzu was looking at him with a mixture of disbelief, sadness, and pity.

She took in a deep breath, as if she was about to unleash every emotion she was feeling. But, instead she stopped. She dropped her rage and let her anger disappear. And Malik's rage began to disappear as well when Anzu threw herself into his arms.

"H-How… could you s-say that Malik?" she sobbed. "If you weren't alive… I wouldn't know what I would have done with myself! Malik… I gave up my dream for you because I… I… I love you!" The words slipped past her lips before she could even consider taking them back.

The rest just came out in between sobs. It tumbled out of her mouth, and she was completely unable to stop the words from pouring out of her. "I… you deserved this! I love you Malik, I have since the first day you came to our school. I'm sorry that I spent all this money, but I did it for you!"

She was afraid to look at him now. The fear of rejection began to overtake her. She should have known, this was all completely one-sided. She should have never gotten her hopes up…

All thoughts soon cleared from her head when his lips crashed against hers in a rough kiss. She blinked in surprise, but it did not take long for her to respond. Malik seemed pleased with this response, and angled his jaw for a deeper kiss.

When he pulled away, she was dazed and breathless.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that." He said. She felt herself smile as she leaned against his chest.

"So, you love me back?" she asked in a playful tone.

"Yes, a lot." He replied with a tint of red to his cheeks.

She looked up at Malik as their lips met in another passionate kiss, and in that moment, both of them knew that they had gotten what they wanted for Christmas.

~Fin

**A/N: Like it? Love it? Tell me in a review! **

**I apologize if anyone is OOC, this was my first attempt at Manipulashipping.**

**And I am very sorry if this seems rushed. I'm in a hurry right now so I had to get this done. **

**Anyways, Merry Christmas!**

**~TWO21**


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